1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a new cultivar of switchgrass having increased biomass yield. In particular, the invention provides a switchgrass cultivar ‘Cimarron’, which was tested under the experimental ID ‘SL93 2001-1’, comprising all the morphological and physiological properties of a grass plants grown from seed deposited under American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) No. PTA-10116 as well as seeds and progeny thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Panicum virgatum, commonly known as switchgrass, is a perennial warm season grass native to North America. Switchgrass is one of the dominant species of the North American tallgrass prairies and can be found in remnant prairies, in native grass pastures, and naturalized along roadsides. Its uses include as ground cover for soil conservation and to control erosion; for forage and grazing; as game cover; as an ornamental grass; for hay and pasture and as a substitute for wheat straw in many applications, including livestock bedding, straw bale housing, and as a substrate for growing mushrooms; and more recently as a biomass crop for ethanol, fiber, electricity, and heat production.
Switchgrass is being intensively researched as a bioenergy crop because it is a native perennial warm season grass with the ability to produce moderate to high yields on marginal farmlands. It is now being considered for use in several bioenergy conversion processes, including cellulosic ethanol production, biogas, and direct combustion for thermal energy applications. The main agronomic advantages of switchgrass as a bioenergy crop are its stand longevity, drought and flooding tolerance, relatively low herbicide and fertilizer input requirements, ease of management, hardiness in poor soil and climate conditions, and widespread adaptability in temperate climates. In addition, the energy inputs required to grow switchgrass are favorable when compared with annual seed bearing crops such as corn, soybean, or canola, which can require relatively high energy inputs for field operations, crop drying, and fertilization.
There is an ongoing need to discover or develop new varieties of switchgrass with favorable attributes, such as high biomass yield.